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State Health Department Opens Ebola Call Center

by Indiana State Department of Health on October 22, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS—Today, the Indiana State Department of Health opened a call center for the public to answer questions regarding Ebola Virus Disease. Health representatives are available to answer questions regarding symptoms, screening and diagnosis of Ebola.

The call center telephone number is (877) 826-0011. It is open Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Call (888) 561-0044 for the hearing impaired.

“There are a lot of questions about Ebola right now and unfortunately quite a bit of misinformation going around,” said State Health Commissioner William VanNess, M.D. “The call center will provide people with a way to easily speak directly to a state health representative to get the information they need.”

The Ebola virus is not spread through the air, by water or food, or by casual contact. People with Ebola can only spread the Ebola virus when they have symptoms. There is no known risk of transmission if someone does not have symptoms. Ebola is only spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, feces, vomit and semen, or a needlestick) of a person who is sick with Ebola or the body of a person who has died from Ebola.

Symptoms of Ebola may appear anywhere from two to 21 days following exposure to body fluids of a person infected with the virus, but often appear between eight and 10 days following exposure. People are contagious as long as their blood and bodily fluids contain the virus. People who do not have symptoms are not contagious.

“Early symptoms of Ebola are similar to influenza, which is why it is essential for our healthcare providers to check travel history when receiving a patient with flu-like symptoms,” said Dr. VanNess. “Only individuals who have traveled to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are at risk of having been exposed.”

For more information about Ebola, visit the Indiana State Department of Health’s website at www.StateHealth.in.gov or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov.